Unique Among the Normal
by GracefulPatronus
Summary: When Dudley notices strange things happening, he has to accept that his son is special. Being raised to hate anything related to magic, he struggles between his hatred for these strange mishaps and his love for his only son. Will he leave his son, or will he seek help? Will he rebuild broken bridges, or let them shatter?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** This is the first time I've published a story using this website, so please bear with me through this experiment. I hope that all who read this fanfic enjoy it, and I'll be updating once a week if all goes well. _

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**Chapter One**

 **Welcome Home, Son**

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 _"And as I try to make my way,_

 _To the ordinary world,_

 _I will learn to survive..."_

 _(Ordinary World - Red)_

 **May 10, 2006**

Dudley sat in the chair next to his wife's bed, holding her hand as she gripped it tightly. As the contractions came, her screams rose and he was sure he'd be deaf by the end of it. One of the nurses held her other hand, and she let out another terrible scream. _Please stop all this bloody screaming before I die._ He thought to himself.

Sara was sweating and breathing heavily, and Dudley was glad he wasn't a woman. He felt bad for his wife having to endure this.

After what felt like years of screaming and pushing, they were finally presented with a baby boy, and Dudley couldn't have been more proud. He kissed his wife's hand and smiled at her.

"You did brilliantly, Love," he whispered. _Maybe if she could've been quieter…_ He thought. He looked at his newborn son, crying delicately in his mother's arms. Soon, the nurses took to cleaning him, and Dudley wasn't given the chance hold him. Dudley and Sara now had an important decision to make.

"What'll his name be, Love?" Dudley took his wife's hand again and rubbed her knuckles.

"Dudley." She looked at him, exhausted, but loving and adoration in her eyes. Perhaps she was glad to have it done, and just didn't care about his name, as long as he was theirs? Dudley couldn't imagine naming his son after himself, seeing as his parents were clearly not in their right minds after his own birth.

"Let's try something else. What were my parents thinking?" He laughed nervously, and his wife smiled.

"His middle name can be Dudley, then. What do you think about the name James, or Jerome?" Sara looked at him with a curious expression, as though wondering if he'd actually consent to one of those choices.

Of course, Dudley thought the name James was a fine one indeed, but there was something stopping him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about the name made him feel as though he shouldn't trespass the idea. Their son's name would be Jerome.

"I think Jerome is a fine name for a young lad like himself. He'll make a great man one day." A nurse put the newborn child into Dudley's nervous hands, and he smiled down at the child.

"Hello mate. Welcome to the family," he said.

Sara and Jerome stayed in the hospital for a few more days while Sara recovered, and Dudley took the time to get his nursery ready. He hired some people to set up a crib for the newborn, and the room had already been painted a mutual light green colour, having not known whether it would be a boy or a girl.

Deciding on a break, Dudley Dursley headed to the hospital to check on his wife.

"Mrs. Dursley is recovering very well. I expect that she'll be able to check out in a day or two. Congratulations on your new son, Mr. Dursley." The doctor addressed him kindly, and he was delighted at the news.

"He will come home in a few days too, I expect?" Dudley's anxious voice didn't phase the doctor.

"Your son will be allowed to go home with you when your wife checks out. No worries, it was a very healthy birth." The doctor politely excused himself and Dudley walked into his wife's room.

Sara Jansen Dursley was peacefully asleep, the child held in her arms flailing his tiny legs energetically.

Dudley walked in quietly and gently lifted little Jerome out of his wife's sleeping hands. Jerome squealed happily at the new attention, and Dudley was suddenly very nervous.

What if he wasn't a good father? What if Jerome hated him later on? Why couldn't babies come with a manual? What if he royally screwed this up?

The baby giggled and hit a tiny hand against his father's cheek, demanding attention from the distracted Dudley Dursley.

"Hey, Little Tyke. Are the nurses treating you well?" He asked the baby casually, knowing that he wouldn't receive any answer.

"Of course they're treating him well, if they don't they'll have Petunia and I to deal with." Dudley looked up to find his parents, Petunia and Vernon Dursley standing in the doorway with wide smiles on their faces.

"Mum, Dad. It's great to see you." Dudley looked down at the squirming baby in his hands and smiled. He was glad he had them to help him.

Petunia Dursley moved forward and Dudley kissed his mother's cheek before allowing her to hold Jerome. Jerome seemed to realize that this was indeed a stranger, and he began to whimper.

"How's my favourite son doing?" Vernon addressed Dudley and Dudley gave a quiet chuckle.

"I'm your only son, Dad. And to be honest, I'm scared." He looked back at the baby, who was beginning to whimper more loudly now, as his mum gently rocked her grandson back and forth, making odd faces at him to try and cheer him up.

"There's nothing to be worried about, Son. Babies are harmless little beings. And you'll be a great father." Petunia handed Jerome to Vernon, who smiled warmly at the infant.

Jerome clearly didn't like either one of his grandparents, because he began to cry loudly after only being in his grandfather's arms for ten seconds. Dudley quickly took the crying baby, but not before it had woken Sara up.

"Dudley, what did you do?" Sara asked worriedly.

"I didn't do anything, Dad was just holding him." Dudley said defensively.

Petunia Dursley immediately went to Sara's side and took her hand.

"Sara, dear, is there anything you need? Water? Blankets?" Petunia always loved Sara, and she was overjoyed that she had given her a wonderful grandson.

"Some water would be nice, thank you Mum." Sara smiled at her mother in law.

A few days later, and Dudley was cradling Jerome in one arm carefully as he unlocked the front door for his wife. Immediately, he returned his other arm for extra support, afraid that he might drop the delicate form sleeping in his large arms.

As Sara opened the door, they heard the sound of half a dozen voices.

"Welcome home, Jerome Dursley!"

Dudley and Sara both looked pleased at the sight of their families in the sitting room standing under a large banner that read ' _Welcome Home, Son.'_

To the surprise of his parents, Jerome stayed asleep. Sara and Dudley moved to enter their sitting room, and Sara's father, Jacob moved to take the bags from Sara's hands.

"I'll just go put the little tyke in his bed. I'll be back in a moment or two." And he moved down the hallway to bring the sleeping child into the nursery. He heard conversation in the sitting room, and he sighed.

He knew he should go and greet his family, but he was absolutely exhausted, so he sat himself down in the large rocker that was positioned aside the crib.


	2. Chapter 2: The Truth Knocks

**_A/N: Hey guys, this is chapter two :) If you or anyone you know is willing to be a beta for me, I'd greatly appreciate it, just PM me. I'm looking for someone who can help me write the intense/angst parts of it, because I always feel a bit guilty when writing those, and also someone who can help me stick to the canon as best as possible, help with some ideas, and correct my missed grammar mistakes. Thanks :)_**

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 _I'm tired of the eggshells_

 _We've been walking on_

 _We've been here for far too long_

 _(Eggshells - Hawk Nelson)_

 **April 14, 2017**

Dudley was sitting in his office, filing papers away, when his phone began to ring. Oh how he wished he could've stayed in bed this morning. Dudley stopped what he was doing and picked up the phone, not reading the caller ID before speaking.

"Dudley Dursley, what can I do you for?" He said.

"Yes, hello Mr. Dursley. This is Richard Shaw, I'm calling about an issue regarding your son, Jerome Dursley." Dudley Dursley leaned back in the chair.

"Yes, what about him?" He asked.

"Your son has a rather interesting history of... mishaps, for lack of better word, and this time it went much too far. We were having a heated discussion because of something he disagreed with, and then, next thing I know, my trousers were missing," Richard Shaw's voice was bland and Dudley Dursley shook his head.

"No sir, that's not possible. He can't have just made your... your trousers disappear. He's no magician. Furthermore, my son is not a problem child." Dudley hung up quickly and let out a breath.

Jerome hadn't given any problems years before, but things started happening. Teachers didn't believe him, and he was unable to justify his son's actions. His son couldn't even justify himself.

"I don't know! One minute it was there, and the next it was gone! It was like magic!"

His cousin had the same accusations placed over him. The same weird things that happened in his cousin's presence were happening to his son, and he wasn't ready to accept it.

"Jerome, what happened to your shirt?" Sara had asked her son.

"I don't know mummy, one minute it was red, now it's green. Like,... like magic." Jerome said.

"Magic doesn't exist, Son. You should know better." Dudley had told him.

Another time, Jerome's parents had told him he couldn't have ice cream until he finished dinner, and then when they weren't looking, his plate had been replaced with a bowl of a mountain of chocolate ice cream.

"How did that happen?" Sara asked incredulously.

"I don't know mummy, maybe I'm supposed to be eating ice cream." Jerome had said with his face already covered in the chocolate stuff.

"You're supposed to be eating a proper dinner." Dudley said, and when he reached for the bowl, it scooted out of his reach. His eyes widened, and he immediately gave up, not wanting to make it any more noticeable.

Dudley ran his hands through his blonde hair, and sighed loudly. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. He thought back to everything that happened, trying to think of logical explanations for each.

 _The shirt had never been red,_ he thought.

 _He snuck the ice cream while we were talking,_ he countered. _His teacher forgot to put his trousers on this morning,_ things like that happened, right? His phone rang once more, and he picked it up.

"Dudley Dursley, how may I help you?"

 **April 29, 2017**

"Daddy, are you okay?" Jerome was standing in front of his father, and Dudley visibly recoiled from his son. Jerome frowned, but he tried not to let it bother him too much. His dad had been like this for a while.

"I'm perfectly fine Jerome." Dudley said, not looking in his son's eyes.

"Mummy and I got you a gift. Thought you seemed stressed from work." Jerome held out a small rectangular package, green wrappings and a silver ribbon. Dudley stared at the package, not making a move toward it.

All he could think of was the terrible things that happened to him when he was younger. Getting trapped in the python exhibit, growing a pig's tail, his tongue growing to be over a metre long after eating that terrible candy. He didn't know what was in store for him should he choose to accept the gift. He was terrified of it.

"Dad? Don't you want it?" Jerome asked. Dudley tried to think of some excuse, but he could think of none.

"Set it just there," he gestured to the small table to the left of his chair. "I'll open it later. Right now I'm going to shower." He stood up, doing his best not to touch his son, and headed for his bedroom. Once he entered the hall, he saw Sara standing in his way.

"We need to talk." She looked at him firmly.

"Can it wait? I'd really like to shower." He seemed nervous, and Sara tensed her jaw.

"No. We need to talk now." She gestured to the bedroom and they both entered, Sara shutting the door behind them.

"Dudley, I love you, and Jerome loves you. But I sometimes wonder whether or not the love is reciprocated. You've been avoiding your only son, and for what reason?" She said. Dudley sighed, running a nervous hands through his hair.

"I haven't been avoiding him."

"You stared at his present and told him to set it aside. You aren't really going to open it are you? You've been avoiding him for quite some time now," she said.

"I've just been stressed. You know I love you, Sara." Dudley put his arms around her slim waist and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes.

"I love you too. But do you love our son?" She stared into his eyes, her ocean blue ones boring into him. He felt weak.

"Of course I love him. He's my son," Dudley said. He planted another kiss on her soft lips and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Then show it." She gently pushed away from him and left the room, leaving Dudley feeling lost and broken inside. He had never meant to seem like a prat. Ignoring his son entirely was easier than denying a part of him.

Dudley moved into the bathroom and ran streaming water through the shower head.

 **May 10, 2017**

Jerome Dursley was upset that his father had gone into work on his birthday, but he didn't dare let it show. He should've expected it.

"Happy birthday, love. I've made you breakfast." Sara Dursley put on her best smile, trying to pretend that she wasn't disappointed in her husband for abandoning their son on his eleventh birthday. He would surely hear about it later.

"Thanks, Mum." Jerome moved into the kitchen and sat down where his mother set a place for him. Jerome's dirty blonde hair was disheveled and his clear blue eyes were tired. He wore a simple t-shirt and loose pajama pants.

Sara's dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and she wore one of her more casual blouses. She sat beside her son and they ate quietly.

"Mum? What are we doing today?" Jerome asked once he'd finished his food. She smiled at him.

"What do you want to do?"

"Open presents?" He thought out loud. His mother laughed.

"Is that all?" She said.

"Well, I suppose we could go to the park? The weather's nice today." Jerome had wanted to get out of the house, but he couldn't think of what he wanted to do. Now that he said it, the park didn't seem like a bad idea to him.

"The park seems nice. Would you like to open your presents first, or do you wish to wait?" Sara was wondering when her son became so mature, and she silently blamed it on the distance between him and his father.

"I'll wait."

When Sara and Jerome returned from the park, both of them had forgotten how upset they had been over Dudley's absence that morning. Jerome was rambling on about imaginary creatures, and Sara smiled, knowing that he hadn't grown up entirely yet.

"And what if there are invisible creatures?" He said as Sara unlocked the front door.

"How would we know if we can't see them?" Sara replied, following her son inside as she let him go before her.

" _Some_ people _can_ see them." Jerome shrugged, and Sara laughed.

Jerome sat on the floor in the sitting room, as was the custom when it was time for him to open presents. He waited for his mother to bring out all of his presents, counting them each as she brought them in from her bedroom.

"Here, open this one first." She handed him a small wrapped box. The tag told him that it was from his grandparents.

He set the ribbon aside and unfolded the wrappings, setting those aside as well. He lifted the top off the box and peered inside to find a small coin bag. He smiled.

"Is that for your collection Jer?" Sara asked curiously.

"Yes. I do love coins." He set it down next to him and continued to open presents.

As he was finishing up, the doorbell rang. He looked up from unwrapping his last present and his mother stood.

"I'll get it, you wait here." Sara walked out of the room, and Jerome put the present on the floor in front of him, deciding to wait on his mum. He couldn't hear what was being said, but from the sound of the voice, whomever was there was probably an elder woman.

His suspicions were proved correct when his mother led the stranger into the sitting room. The woman, wearing slightly mismatched clothing, smiled down at Jerome. Her hair was in a tight bun and grey.

Jerome's mother offered her a cup of tea, which she politely declined.

"And you must be Jerome Dursley," the woman spoke kindly to him, and he nodded politely. He had wanted to ask her who she was, but refrained, because he thought it might be rude. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I am a professor. Mr. Dursley, you are a special young man." She said.

"Was he accepted into the school where you teach?" Sara asked, her brows furrowed In confusion.

"Indeed. But this isn't just any school. This is Hogwarts." Minerva spoke carefully now, trying to find the best way to deliver the information.

"Can't say I've heard of it," Sara replied.

"You wouldn't have. Hogwarts is a school for people, like your son, who are very unique. You see, Hogwarts is a school for witches and wizards," She said. She watched Jerome's eyes grow wide as he shook his head rapidly in denial.

"I'm sorry, you must have been joking." Sara looked at the woman incredulously.

"No, I'm being serious. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a place where young witches and wizards such as Jerome can safely learn and practice magic." McGonagall was looking directly at Sara, who was looking at her son.

"He can't be a wizard. Nobody in our family possesses any strange magical powers, or... it's just impossible." Sara shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.

"Has anything strange ever happened in his presence? When he wanted something, or if he was angry or sad?" Minerva McGonagall kept herself calm while Sara was failing to keep a level head.

"Well, sometimes strange things happen, but..." She stopped. She shook her head again and ran her fingers through her long hair.

"Magic doesn't exist." Jerome said quietly. He too, was shocked, but he stayed as calm as he possibly could.

"If I showed you, would you then believe me?" McGonagall asked hesitantly.

"Maybe."

"Very well, please try to remain calm." Minerva closed her eyes and focused, and not even five seconds later, in her place was a tabby cat. Sara let out an audible gasp, and Jerome's eyes widened, a smirk on his face, clearly he was impressed.

Minerva McGonagall shifted again to face them in her human form.

"Here is the letter for Jerome, along with his list of needed school supplies. Term begins on the first of September. I must get back to the school now, but I will be contacting again over summer holiday to receive your answer." The professor handed Sara a folded piece of parchment, and then turned to smile at Jerome. "Happy birthday."

"Dud, can we talk?" As soon as Dudley entered the house from staying late at work, he was met with an angry Sara.

"Love, I'm tired and hungry, can this please wait?" Dudley used to be good at weaseling his way out of tough situations, but Sara was not a force to be reckoned with.

"No. This cannot wait. We need to talk, now." Her angry blue eyes had a way of forcing guilt into his conscience.

He nodded, clearly feeling defeated. She led him into their room, shutting the door behind her.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" She rounded on him.

"What?"

"You chose work over celebrating your son's birthday! I told you that you need to show him you love him, and you do so by ignoring him even more?" She was raging and on the verge of breaking completely.

"Sara, I... I'm sorry." His voice apologetic.

"Dudley, I love you, and I know that you love me, but it's not me you should be apologising to." And she made her way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and turning on the water from the showerhead. Dudley raked his hands harshly through his own hair, and sighed in defeat. He knew what he needed to do now.


	3. Chapter 3: Something to be Reckoned With

**_A/N: Hey guys, I wont be posting the fourth chapter next week, as it will be Halloween, and I'll be busy, but I'll do my best make the next chapter promising to make up for it!_**

 ** _Also, I'm still looking for a beta! And if you could tell anyone you know that might be interested about this story, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much for your support, and don't forget to leave reviews!_**

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 _Everything turned golden,_

 _Then it fell apart_

 _It's the same old story,_

 _It's the same sad song,_

 _Where did I go wrong?_

 _(Let Me Drown - We As Human)_

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 **May 11, 2017**

Dudley Dursley woke early Thursday morning. Five in the morning, to be exact. He intended on making up for all of his wrongdoings. All this time he treated his son like a stranger because he was afraid of something that couldn't have been possible. He decided to try making omelets.

He swore that if his wife and son weren't happy with this then he wouldn't know what to do. He was going to do his best to make conversation with his son, and hopefully his son would see his effort.

When Sara and Jerome entered the kitchen to find Dudley putting oddly shaped lumps on plates, they were pleasantly surprised. Both of them sat down and graciously accepted the slightly burned breakfast.

"What's this for, dear?" Sara asked.

"I've been a prat and I'm making up for it," Dudley responded.

"Thanks, Daddy." Jerome smiled up at his father, who did his best to smile back. Jerome looked at the food and hoped it tasted better than it looked.

They all ate, and as soon as Dudley finished his plate, he spoke. "Don't ever let me cook again."

At this, Sara laughed and she smiled at him. "It wasn't that bad, Love."

"Yeah it was, but it's the thought that counts." Jerome said with a smile.

"Hey Son, I really am sorry that I've been avoiding you." Dudley said, his voice apologetic and his expression genuine.

"It's all right Dad, I understand." Jerome looked a bit uncomfortable at the sudden apology.

"No, it's not fair of me to have treated you the way I did. You don't deserve that," Dudley said, frowning.

"I'd have done the same most likely." Jerome shrugged. "I wouldn't have known how to cope with it."

"What do you mean, Son?" Dudley asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Did his son know more than he did?

"Jerome, why don't you go get ready for school? I'll talk to your father." Sara interjected before Jerome had a chance to tell his father anything more.

Jerome got up and went to his room. As soon as he left, Dudley turned to his wife.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Dudley, you should read this letter." Sara handed over a familiar looking envelope, the all too familiar purple seal had been broken.

Dudley paled and visibly shook with fear. All his suspicions have been proven true. He tried to find words to speak, but they caught in his throat.

"Dud?" Sara furrowed her eyebrows together, an expression of worry taking residence on her face.

"This is why- I knew... He's... he's not going." Dudley spoke in an eerily calm tone, but his face resembled a beet and he was shaking. Then he realised he'd given himself away. He just admitted that he knew something about it.

"You know about this?" Sara was almost at her breaking point, but she tried her very best to remain calm.

"Of course I know about it. My own bloody cousin was one of their lot. Bunch of bloody bumbling idiots, they are." He said, the disgust clear on his face.

"Dudley why didn't you tell me? No, don't answer that. What do you have against it?" Sara asked.

"My cousin was a disgrace to our family. An outcast. He didn't belong and neither does Jerome."

 **June 10, 2017**

Dudley had been foul towards his son ever since that morning when he'd found out. His wife kicked him onto the couch and was very curt and sour with him. Jerome had been out of school for a few weeks, so Dudley began working longer hours to avoid him.

Jerome sat on the couch in the sitting room watching the television. The window behind him was open, and a cool breeze danced its way inside. Jerome didn't think much of his father, he was used to the type of treatment he got from him. However, Dudley thought of Jerome, and Sara thought of Dudley.

While Jerome sat on the couch, Sara cleaned in the kitchen, and Dudley Dursley skimmed through reports and paperwork. But Dudley's mind wasn't on the work. All he could think about was his cousin. How he had run off with the great oaf to learn magic. If he said no to his son, would Jerome run off anyway?

He decided it didn't matter, because his son couldn't be his son. Not if he was one of them.

Dudley muttered curses under his breath as he worked, angrily shoving files into their places. His back to the windows, the sun entering his office and only feeding the fire inside of him.

 **July 15, 2017**

"Hello?" Dudley answered his phone. Dudley was sitting in a reclining chair in the sitting room, and was watching the news when he received a call from his father. Vernon Dursley must have said something he didn't much like, because he went rigid within seconds.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, clearly shocked about something. "Don't you think you could've given more notice?" he glanced nervously toward the kitchen where Sara was making Jerome lunch.

"Well, he's not feeling very well, honestly," Dudley said. "And our home isn't very presentable."

"Sara, my parents are coming over," Dudley said nervously. His wife had been curt with him for a while.

"Lovely, I'm sure Jerome would love to see them." She continued to work around the kitchen.

"I told them he was ill."

"Why would you do that?" She asked, her voice was chillingly calm.

"Because I don't want them knowing what he is. I'm sure you wouldn't either if you'd been there when I was growing up," he said.

"I don't care what they bloody think of my son," she said. "Maybe I'll just take Jerome somewhere tonight if you're so ashamed of him."

"Mum, I don't mind pretending to be ill." Jerome was looking down and muttering guiltily.

"No, Jerome this shouldn't be happening. Your father is being immature and he very well knows it." She cleaned up Jerome's now empty plate and walked off to her bedroom.

Sara drove along the road for a while, and Jerome sat quietly in the passenger seat. She tried very hard to make up for her husband's lack of support in the situation, but she knew that his behaviour was still affecting their son. She felt guilty.

"Jerome, I'm sor-"

"No, Mum, don't. It's okay. It's not your fault," Jerome interrupted. "I can handle it. And I'm glad that I'm different." He looked at his mum, who had tears in her eyes. " I was afraid that I would never be accepted at school because funny things always happened around me. But now I know why, and I can find answers. I think that Dad will come around if he's meant to, don't you?"

In fact, Sara don't know if Dudley would ever come around. However, she knew that it would never stop her from fully supporting her son, and she was happy for his strength in the situation. She nodded tearfully.

Eventually they found a place to eat at, and Sara let Jerome pick anything he wanted for dessert. Jerome was polite to the waitress, and Sara was very pleased. She did wish, however, that he hadn't grown up so quickly. Perhaps he would slow down once he was able to go to this wizarding school.

"Mum, Nan and Grandad are still here," Jerome said, pointing to the drive where his grandparents' familiar car sat.

"It'll be fine, we'll just walk in and if they figure anything out, I'll make sure no harm comes to you." Sara pulled her car up beside her in-laws' vehicle and turned it off. "Let's go, then."

They made their way through the door and came face to face with a red faced Petunia Dursley and an even redder faced Vernon Dursley. Their eyes widened at the sight of Sara and Jerome and Vernon began to yell.

"Freaks! The whole bloody lot of them!" He lifted his index finger and pointed it straight toward Jerome.

"Excuse me?" Sara asked.

"That boy is no grandson of ours!" Petunia hissed, her nasty and aged faced twisted into an angry expression. "Had he not gotten that letter,-"

"Petunia let's go. Now!" Vernon pulled her, noting the way Jerome's face was screwed up in an angry and hurt expression, as if he was trying to hold back. And they were lucky they moved so quickly, because just as they did, the light just above them shattered, sending shards of glass everywhere.

Vernon and Petunia Dursley rushed out to their car and in record time, they were racing away from the home in the street that housed the freak. Jerome sank onto his knees, not caring about the small shards that poked through his hands and knees. He just began to cry, his walls breaking finally and no longer seeming very mature and strong to Sara. She sank down too, brushing the glass away from them, picking up each hand and gently pulling out small shards. When she finished, she wrapped her arms around him and he cried into her shoulder.

Jerome wasn't, in fact, tough at all. He pretended to be strong for his mum, because he hated to see her break, but he was young, and he could only deal with so much. His dad was one thing, having ignored him often for years. His grandparents, however? No, he wasn't able to cope with their disapproval. Not now, anyway.

 **July 30, 2017**

Dudley didn't talk to his wife about much, and she didn't talk to him much if she could help it either. The atmosphere between them grew tense and you could feel animosity in the air. Dudley wasn't used to this treatment, so you couldn't blame him when he'd decided to avoid the house at much as possible. Sometimes he'd even stay in hotels just to stay away from his family.

When Sara and Jerome were enjoying lunch in their kitchen on a bright afternoon, the window open to allow the cool air in, something most peculiar happened. A large tawny owl swooped in low through the window, landing softly before Jerome. His eyes widened when he noticed a thick envelope bearing a violet wax seal and a familiar coat of arms.

"Jer, that's the same coat of arms from the last envelope." Sara took the envelope and the owl nibbled at a piece of a chip Jerome pushed toward it before flying out of the window and out of sight. Sara opened the envelope and read the letter inside. "Diagon Alley? I haven't heard of… oh."


	4. Chapter 4: Diagon Alley

**_A/N:_** _**Hey guys, Sorry it took much longer for me to post this chapter, I was experiencing some technical difficulty. Please review this story and follow it!**_

 _ **If you have any ideas that you would like me to incorporate into the story, PM me, I may OR may not choose to use them. This story can also be found on Watt Pad and Hex if you're on one of those more often.  
**_

* * *

 _But I won't let you pull me down,_

 _As I'm reaching_

 _For deeper meaning_

 _I've been searching for that something_

 _But I've known it all along_

 _This is who I am_

 _It's where I stand_

 _I won't apologise_

 _(This Is Who I Am - Colton Dixon)_

* * *

 **August 5, 2017**

"Jerome! Are you ready?" Sara called from the opposite side of his door. The door opened and Jerome smiled nervously at her.

"I'm as ready as I could ever be, Mum." He stepped out of his room and followed his mum into the sitting room.

"The headmistress said that another professor was going to meet us at a place called the _Leaky Cauldron._ I've never heard of it before, but apparently we should be able to find it on this street." Sara looked down at a piece of paper that she was holding and took a deep breath. "I've taken some money from your savings account, I do hope it's enough."

"It'll be fine, Mum. I'm positive of it." Jerome sounded confident, but he himself was a mess of nerves as well. Sara had received a letter from Minerva McGonagall not more than a week before, instructing Sara on getting to Diagon Alley and explaining about money exchange.

"Let's get going then, Love." She followed Jerome who walked past her and headed for the drive, where the car was waiting.

When they were in the car, Sara pulled out of the drive and headed for the given address. When they arrived near the street, She found an open parking space and parked. They got out and walked a few streets over to the given street.

"Alright, keep your eyes open," She said.

Jerome looked all around him, and then he saw it. Almost inconspicuously lodged between two shops. _The Leaky Cauldron._ "There! Just over there."

"Where, Love?" Sara looked to where Jerome was pointing, but she saw nothing. Jerome took her arm and led her toward the dodgy looking pub, and as soon as they were closer, she saw it.

They made their way to the entrance and Jerome shoved the door open. Inside, it was much larger. _Much_ larger. Sara Dursley took in a breath, and Jerome's eyes widened.

There were people dressed in odd clothing everywhere, some sitting alone, others huddled in groups. Some were muttering things and others looked up at the newcomers. There were a few people sitting at the counter of the pub, a couple taking drags from long pipes in their hands. One of the men sipped on an odd looking drink, glanced quickly in their direction and practically jumped up to greet them. He was a taller man with short dark hair and a smooth face. He looked rather young, and he held a warm smile on his ageless face. He approached them with a hand extended to Sara.

"Hello, my name is Neville Longbottom, I'm the herbology professor at Hogwarts." Sara shook his hand firmly and responded with a smile.

"I'm Sara Dursley, this is my son, Jerome." She gestured to her son and Neville let out a small whistle.

"All right, Mate?" Neville held a hand out for Jerome to shake. Jerome shook it firmly and responded with a quiet greeting of 'All right?'.

"Now then, we should get him a Gringotts vault. Gringotts is the wizarding bank. Second safest place in the entire wizarding world." Neville explained. He led them out to the back of the pub, where they stood in a small courtyard. They came to face a large brick wall, and Neville took out his wand. He glanced over at the pair cautiously, as if expecting them to run away screaming.

Sara narrowed her eyes curiously and Jerome watched determinedly hoping to learn something new about his world. Sometimes Jerome thought it was all a joke, but eventually he'd learn that this was as real as the air he breathed and ground he walked on. Neville tapped a brick with the tip of his wand and the bricks began to rumble. They moved to form a large archway that revealed a bustling street.

"Whoa." Jerome looked at the busy street full of people walking around. Very few of them took any notice to the people entering the alleyway. There were no cars anywhere in sight and Jerome thought this was curious.

"This way." Neville led them to a large white marble building.

As they got closer to it, Jerome noticed the short creatures standing at the entrance. "Um, mister... err. Professor?"

Neville acknowledged Jerome with a nod of his head and a questioning look.

"What, what are those?" He asked, gesturing to the odd looking creatures.

"Goblins. Never cross them. They're partly why Gringotts is so safe." Neville nodded to them as they bowed them inside the large bank.

They entered the marble building, and the two newcomers took in a large breath at the sight. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Neville brought them to an open counter, and Jerome's head couldn't see above it.

"We're here to get a Gringotts vault for Mister Jerome Dursley." Neville spoke to the goblin with a strong, but kind voice, and the goblin nodded in acknowledgement.

"And what is Mister Dursley's date of birth?" The goblin asked, looking over the counter, down at Jerome.

"May tenth, two thousand six, Sir." Jerome looked back up at the goblin.

"Very well, and does he have money to put in the vault?" The goblin questioned his mother now, and Neville spoke up.

"He will need to exchange muggle money for wizarding money." He told the goblin.

"Ah yes. Indeed," was the goblin's response. Sara Dursley pulled out her wallet and took out a wad of banknotes. she handed them to the goblin and the goblin counted them. "Two hundred and sixty five pounds"

"Mum, you've taken two hundred sixty five pounds?" Jerome asked his mother incredulously.

"You've got much more than that in your bank account, Love. Your father and I have been saving up for your future ever since we found out we were having a child. This is our gift to you." She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled weakly.

"Fifty three galleons, sixteen sickles, and eighteen knuts," the goblin spoke, handing Jerome a bag, and motioned for another goblin. He spoke in an unheard of language, and the goblin responded in the same unheard of language.

"They're speaking gobbledygook. Native tongue of goblins." Neville explained to them.

"Grinlorr will show you to your new vault," the goblin gestured to his companion who made his way around the counter and directed them into a corridor made of stone that held a cart.

"Get in please." Grinlorr watched them scramble to get in and he got in the front, placing a lantern on a hook in the front.

The cart lurched forward quickly and suddenly they were going down. Jerome looked on with wide eyes while Sara looked as though she would be sick. When the cart stopped abruptly, everyone got out, and Sara vomited on the cold floor. She took out a handkerchief and cleaned her face sheepishly. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Scourgify." Neville had his wand pointed at the mess and it disappeared. Jerome was amazed.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Scourifying spell. You learn it early on at Hogwarts. It cleans messes," Neville explained. "Dead useful, really."

The goblin pulled out a key and unlocked the vault before them. "Vault two hundred and seventy eight." The vault opened, and Jerome looked inside. It was huge. And very empty.

Jerome stepped inside and emptied the bag into the vault. The bag looked rather large when it was empty. Neville cleared his throat before speaking. "Would you like me to shrink it for you, your pouch? That way it'll be easier to carry around."

Jerome nodded and watched as Neville pointed his wand at the pouch. " _Reducio."_ The pouch shrunk to fit easily in Jerome's palm. Jerome counted out galleons, sickles and knuts and placed a small handful into his bag.

"Twenty galleons, eight sickles, and fourteen knuts," Jerome spoke as he shoved the pouch into his pocket and then turned to leave the vault.

They made their way back to the cart and Sara hesitantly got in. Jerome was excited to be able to see all of the interesting things that would surely be in Diagon Alley.

When they got back outside and into the fresh air, Sara let out a sigh of relief. Neville laughed and smiled down at Jerome.

"Alright, where should we go first? Flourish and Blotts? Ollivander's? Madam Malkin's?" Neville asked.

"I'm sorry, but what are all those places?" Jerome asked.

"Books, wands, robes." Neville answered confidently.

"Books. No harm in books." Sara was muttering, still shaken up from the cart ride.

"Flourish and Blotts it is, then." Neville smiled, trying to hide his surprise. After all, he'd never seen anyone get sick from the carts in Gringotts. Muggles were fascinating. He led them to a shop not too far away, and they walked inside. "Four weeks until Hogwarts, which means it'll be busier than normal, however, it's busiest when it's two weeks before Hogwarts." Neville gestured to all of the young witches and wizards that were tugging on sleeves and pushing others around. Not much unlike what they've seen outside.

"How about I look for the first four books on the list, and you can look for the last four books? It'll make things go quicker." Neville watched as Jerome nodded his head and then he went his own way down the shelves.

"Mum, you can look for _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore and _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger. I'll look for the other two," Jerome said.

"You'll be okay on your own, Jer?" Sara asked, cautiously looking around. She wasn't used to these people, so nobody could blame her for taking caution. But somehow, Jerome knew it'd be okay.

"I'll be fine Mum. Don't worry." Jerome kissed her cheek before turning and looking for his books. He walked along the many shelves scanning the titles carefully.

He wandered up and down tirelessly searching for the last two books. As he walked, he noticed a girl and boy arguing up ahead.

"Watch where you're going!" The boy said.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going instead!" The girl said, kneeling down to pick up her own books. The boy kicked two of the books out of her way and stormed off. Jerome glared in his direction. He hated when people were rude to others like that.

He stooped down to pick up one of the books that the boy kicked toward him, and then walked over to the other that was a few paces away. He looked at the titles of them.

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander,_ and _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ by Quentin Trimble. Just the books he needed! He headed toward the girl who had just finished picking up the rest of her books and he handed them to her.

"Here," he said.

"Thanks." The girl had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She blushed in mild embarrassment as she took her books back.

"Where did you find those two books? I can't find them."

"They're just over in that corner over there," she pointed to a corner in the back of the shop. "They're a bit past the history and theory books."

"Thanks. My name is Jerome, by the way," he said.

"Annette. Mine is Annette. Maybe I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express next month?" She asked.

"Yeah. Maybe." He smiled brightly and said goodbye before heading to the back corner where she directed him. It was a quiet, unpopulated corner, and he saw many interesting titles.

There, he found the books he was looking for, as well as another book that interested him. _Animagi: a Difficult Transfiguration Lesson_ by multiple authors. He picked up the book to look at it. He turned it on its back to read a description, but none was given, so he opened it to the table of contents.

 _What is an Animagus?_

 _Laws for Animagi_

 _The Dangers_

 _The Process_

 _Meditations_

 _Training_

 _Transformation_

 _The End Result_

 _How to Register_

He flipped to the first chapter, curious to know what an animagus was. He looked at the page, his eyes drawn to a picture of what looked to be a human transforming into an animal, or vice versa. He read the caption.

Above: an animagus mid-transformation.

He averted his eyes to the text on the page.

An animagus is a person who can become an animal at will.

His eyes widened. He'd seen an animagus before. The Hogwarts headmistress demonstrated her ability to transform.

"I see you've taken an interest in Animagi. It's a very difficult process, becoming one," Neville Longbottom found Jerome and approached him, carrying four books.

"Can anyone become one? How many are there?" Jerome asked him, looking up from the book.

"Only two that I know of, although, there once was three others. But they all died in the war," Neville explained. "Are you wanting to study them?"

Jerome furrowed his eyebrows. _War?_ he thought. _What war_? "I'm very interested, yes Sir." Jerome closed the book and made to put it back on the shelf.

"I'll tell you what. I'll buy you that book, but you have to keep it secret from all the other students. And don't attempt anything in it, you're far too young. Deal?" Jerome brightened and smiled, nodding his head vigorously.

"Thank you, Sir," Jerome said excitedly.

"Consider it my welcome gift."

They met up with Sara and made their way to the counter. Neville handed Jerome ten sickles for the Animagus book, and Jerome pulled out three galleons and two sickles. He handed all of the money to the clerk, and the clerk put his newly acquired books into a bag for him, slipping a couple of knuts in the bag as well for change.

They all made their way out of the shop, and Sara took Jerome's bag for him. Jerome looked around and spotted Florean Fortescue's ice cream stand. Neville saw where he was looking.

"Let's get your robes, and then we can stop for ice cream, yes?" Sara agreed to Neville's suggestion, and they headed for Madam Malkin's.

Jerome was fitted with a black robe, and Madam Malkin worked on adjusting it. After she finished with the work robes, she pointed him in the direction of the hats and winter cloaks.

Jerome paid the witch six galleons and they headed for Florean Fortescue's. Florean's special that day was a butterbeer sundae. Jerome got one of those, and his mother ordered a simple banana split. Neville offered to pay, and Jerome's mother let him pay for hers, but Jerome refused his offer, because he already bought him a book, which was more expensive. Jerome handed Florean two sickles and took his butterbeer sundae to a table in the courtyard. Sara and Neville followed once they got their ice creams.

"What's it like, getting a wand?" Jerome asked Neville.

"It's like finding another part of yourself. Like an extension of your arm." Neville glanced up at the hopeful look on Jerome's face. "Every witch and wizard can say that one of their best memories is the way it feels when a wand chooses you." That hopeful look on Jerome's face changed into one of delight once he took a bite of his sundae.

"This is the best ice cream I've ever tasted," he said.

"I quite like it, yes," Neville agreed.

A large barn owl swooped low by them and made it's way toward _Eeylops Owl Emporium_. Jerome watched with wide-eyed awe at the sight. "How many wizards and witches have owls?"

"Well, many of them, really, an owl is nearly a necessity. They deliver your mail for you, after all," Neville responded.

"I want an owl, Mum." Jerome continued looking toward the owl emporium.

"Maybe we should wait on that one, Love. Not sure how Dudley would react to that one," Sara said apologetically.

"Dudley? Dudley Dursley? He's your husband?" Neville asked, surprised.

"Yes, you know him?" Sara seemed equally surprised.

"Not personally, but I know of him. He's my friend Harry's cousin," Neville said, bringing his voice down a bit.

"So his cousin talks about him?" Sara asked curiously.

"Well, not often. I don't know much, but I do know Harry didn't have many good memories," Neville said, guiltily. He looked apologetic as Sara's face fell slightly.

"Dudley didn't react well when he found out about Jerome," Sara said.

"It's happened before. I mean, there are plenty of muggle parents who don't like the idea, but nearly all of them warm up to it eventually," Neville replied, trying to make Sara feel better. And it worked.

When they all finished eating, Neville showed them to Ollivander's. It was a smaller shop. They entered and Jerome noticed a single wand on display in the window, resting on a velvet cushion.

"Ah, Neville Longbottom. Thirteen inches, cherry wood, unicorn hair. Good to see you again. And who is this?" The old man that Jerome assumed was Ollivander gestured to him.

"I'm Jerome, Sir. Jerome Dursley."

"Indeed, and which is your wand arm?" Ollivander asked.

"Well, I'm left handed, if that's what you mean," Jerome muttered, a bit confused.

Ollivander flicked his wand toward a measuring tape laying on the counter, and the measuring tape immediately started measuring his arm. Shoulder to elbow, shoulder to wrist, elbow to wrist, wrist to finger tips. Then it measured Jerome's height and his hand span.

When the measuring tape finished, Ollivander pondered for a moment. "Ah yes, yes indeed." He approached one of his shelves which contained long rectangular boxes. He pulled down a few of them, setting them in a neat stack on his countertop. He opened the first box and pulled out a wand from it. "Vinewood, ten inches, unicorn hair. Try this." He handed it to Jerome.

Jerome felt a small tingle, but as soon as he moved it the slightest centimetre, Ollivander took the wand back. "Nope." He handed over another wand. "Holly, eleven and a half inches, unicorn hair. Try this one."

This wand didn't even tingle. Ollivander took the wand back. "Maybe not."

Jerome began to feel uncomfortable. Ollivander handed another wand from his gathered stack. "Apple, nine and a quarter inches, Unicorn hair."

Jerome held it and it hummed, but Ollivander took it back. It wasn't the right fit. "Perhaps, I was wrong in assuming unicorn hair would suit you," Ollivander said after two other tries.

He made way back to the shelves, and found a wand case that was sticking out from the infinite stacks of wand cases. Picking it out extremely carefully from the tottering pile, he opened the case and took out the wand.

"Ebony, nine and a half inches, Phoenix tail feather," Ollivander stated, handing the wand over to Jerome.

As soon as Jerome took it, he knew what Neville was talking about. The feeling of being complete. Like he'd found his missing part. It was an extension of himself. The wand glowed as if it agreed with Jerome's thoughts.

"Yes! Yes it's the one!" Ollivander announced. "I expect you'll do wonderful things. Perhaps you'll be great in combat, or even with Transfiguration. Ebony is said to yield well with those forms of magic."

"Thank you, Sir." Jerome handed him seven galleons and took the wand case from the counter. He looked inside of the case and saw a strap, similar to a holster.

"What's this, Sir?" He asked.

"Ah, that's a wand holster. Only just started making them. Witches and wizards have been requesting them. It magically fits wherever you wish to put it," Ollivander explained.

"I could definitely do with one of those," Neville said thoughtfully.

"Take one," Ollivander reached behind the counter and handed a wand holster to Neville. "They're only ten knuts."

Neville handed him the coins and took the holster. He strapped it onto his waist and slid his wand into it. Jerome put his own holster around his waist and placed his wand inside it. He slid the empty wand case into the bag of books his mother carried.

They all left and Jerome spotted the Eeylops Owl Emporium, yet again. Sara saw where he was looking, and she fidgeted nervously.

"Mum, I want an owl," Jerome repeated his plea from earlier and Sara looked to be debating it.

"I don't know, Dear. Is it the only way to deliver mail?" She addressed Neville.

"Well, from Hogwarts, it's the easiest, yes. And it's also quickest," Neville answered.

Jerome was leaning forward toward the Owl Emporium. He had a hopeful look in his eye.

"Oh, go on," his mother said. "I'll deal with your father later."

Jerome made a break for the shop and Sara and Neville followed behind at their own pace.

"Is it… Is this… _world_ dangerous?" Sara asked nervously. Neville Longbottom thought of how to respond to this sudden question.

"It's just as safe as the muggle world. In the muggle world, you have those weird looking things that shoot people down, sometimes killing them. In the wizarding world, it's the same, only instead of those weird devices, our weapons are our wands." He paused to look at Sara hoping he made sense.

"Guns." Sara smiled.

"Guns?" Neville asked.

"That's what they're called. You know, 'the weird things that shoot people down.' They're guns, and they shoot bullets. But, I guess what my question is, will my son be safe?" Sara spoke softly as they reached the entrance of the emporium.

"Your son is just as safe in the wizarding world as he would be in the muggle world. And he will be safest at Hogwarts, as it's the safest place in the wizarding world," Neville explained. This information brought relief to Sara.

Jerome emerged from the shop just as Sara and Neville were about to walk in. In his hand was a large cage holding a white and brown barred owl. Sara smiled at her son. His face was lit with such happiness and she knew that this was where he belonged, in this world. His owl hooted tiredly and drifted to sleep as they walked away from the shop.

They continued with their shopping until Jerome had all the supplies he needed for school. Then, they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron and said their goodbyes to Neville Longbottom. Sara took Jerome's bags and he carried the owl as they walked out of the shop and to their car.

As the car started, the owl hooted and Jerome smiled. He gave it a little treat from a small bag he bought from the emporium.

"She's quite beautiful, Jer," Sara said, admiring the owl.

"I'm not sure what I'll name her yet, but I'm sure I'll figure something out once I start reading those books." Jerome absently traced his finger along the thin bars of the cage.

"What the hell is that ruddy thing?!" Dudley Dursley shouted as soon as he saw the barred owl. Jerome and Sara had entered their house to find Dudley in the kitchen raiding the refrigerator.

Jerome held the owl behind his back instinctively, and Sara stepped forward. "That is his owl. I allowed him to get it so he could send letters from Hogwarts."

"He's not going to that school."

"Yes he is, and I'd love to see you try to stop him," Sara said firmly.


	5. Chapter 5: The Hogwarts Express

_**A/N: Hey guys, I'm going to be posting a little bit less regularly, as you may have already noticed. I have exams coming up, and unfortunately, I can't risk doing poorly on them. Hopefully you'll all understand. Please leave reviews! I love seeing them!**_

* * *

I'm going away for a while

But I'll be back

Don't try and follow me

'Cause I'll return as soon as possible

See, I'm trying to find my place

(Misguided Ghosts - Paramore)

* * *

 **September 1, 2017**

Jerome was a mess. He was extremely nervous, and he'd read through as much as he possibly could so he wouldn't feel dumb. He rushed around in his room packing everything he knew he needed into a large trunk.

 _Parchment, quills, ink, robes, books,_ he repeated the list to himself quietly, trying to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He ran around his room grabbing things like shirts, pants, books, and his favorite pictures.

"Jerome, are you almost ready? We'll be leaving soon." Sara looked her head through the door to find an anxious Jerome pacing the room. His owl, whom he'd decided to name Cliodna, after an animagus mentioned in his history book, hooted out of annoyance.

"Jer, you'll be alright. Come on, I'll take your trunk. Feed your owl something," Sara stooped down and lifted the trunk (though with much difficulty). She left the room and Jerome fed Cliodna a biscuit. He lifted the cage off of his nightstand and grabbed the bag of biscuits. He then followed his mother out to the car, ignoring his grumbling father, who sat on the sofa in the sitting room sulking.

 **Same Day**

Jerome pushed his trolley, his mother walking beside him nervously. His owl attracted a lot of attention, but nobody questioned them. They found platforms nine and ten, but where was platform nine and three quarters? Jerome stopped and looked around curiously. People were bustling around and it was rather noisy. But Jerome couldn't see anyone that might look like they'd be going to platform nine and three quarters.

"What are we supposed to do? He said it was between the barriers of nine and ten. It's not here." Sara looked as though she felt cheated.

"It's ten fifty, I only have ten minutes," Jerome panicked. He looked around hoping to find some clue. And he saw it. A man and a woman with two kids, one of which had an owl and a trunk. "There, we can ask them."

As the group got closer, Jerome pushed his trolley toward them. The man had red hair, and the woman's was a curly honey brown color. Their kids both had red hair.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Jerome called to the woman who was closest to him. She turned to him and noticed the owl.

"You need help getting to the platform, don't you?" She smiled warmly at him and her husband watched.

"Yes, Ma'am. Where can we find it?" Sara asked from behind him.

"Oh! Is your son a muggle-born?" She asked. Her eyes sparked with delight.

"Uh, yes," She responded.

"Well, all you have to do is walk right through the barrier just there. It normally repels muggles, but it should detect your... circumstance. I don't know how to explain it without sounding insane, but it just works," she explained. "I'm a muggle-born too."

She motioned for her husband to move through the barrier as an example. Her husband led the younger child, the one without a trunk, to the barrier. They both ran straight at it, but instead of crashing like Sara anticipated, they disappeared behind it.

The horrified look on her face turned into both relief and confusion. The woman sent her daughter into the barrier and then turned toward the small family.

"You next, Love." She nodded to Jerome with an encouraging smile.

Sara took in a deep breath and placed her hand on Jerome's shoulder. They both jogged straight through the barrier. They walked on forward and found the giant steam engine.

Jerome turned to his mum and felt tears run down his cheeks. Sara knelt down and brushed his tears away. "Hey, Jer, you'll be fine. This isn't goodbye. It's never goodbye."

He hugged her tightly. "I'll write every week," he said.

"I look forward to it." She gently pulled away and he pulled away to find a door onto the train. He brought his owl up first, looking for an open compartment. When he found one in the back, he set his owl's cage down and went to retrieve his trunk. He attempted to lift it, but it was far too heavy. He looked up where his mother was, but people blocked his view, and she likely couldn't see him either.

"Here, let me help you with that, Mate," a man appeared at the bottom of the steps and he lifted the trunk onto the train. When he got it in, he set it down and pointed his wand at it. Jerome's eyes went wide, as he knew he was about to witness something extraordinary.

The trunk floated and Jerome lead the man to the compartment he picked out for himself. The man set the trunk on the shelf above the seat.

"Thank you, Sir." Jerome looked up at the man. He has dark hair, glasses, and a scar rested on his cheek.

"Not a problem, Son. What's your name?"

"Jerome, what's yours?" He asked. The man laughed.

"Ah, you're muggle-born. I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He held out his hand.

Jerome shook it. Harry Potter left the compartment and Jerome went to the window where he saw his mum searching for him on the train. Sara spotted him and waved. Jerome waved and smiled at her.

Jerome looked back to where he saw Harry Potter and his family saying their goodbyes. The red haired man and his wife and kids were with them. Jerome saw the resemblance between Harry's wife and the red haired man. _They're somehow related to me._ He watched as Harry helped one of the smaller kids lift their trunk on, but once he was on the train, Jerome lost sight of him. The two women talked to each other, and the other man, the red headed man, was now lifting a trunk as well.

Jerome averted his gaze and found his mother again. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He'd miss her very much.

"Here we go, Albus. I'm sure Jerome won't mind you and Rose sitting in here with him," Harry had opened the compartment and a small boy that looked much like him shyly looked at Jerome as if to ask permission.

"Of course," Jerome said. He held his hand out to the other kid and introduced himself. "I'm Jerome."

"I'm Albus." Albus shook his hand and sat across from Jerome. Rose sat next to Albus, and Harry and the other man said their goodbyes to them.

"I'm Rose, I'm his cousin." Rose held out her hand and Jerome shook it with a smile.

The train whistled in warning and the rest of the kids rushed onto the scarlet steam engine with their trunks. Jerome looked back out of the window to his mum. He noticed she was teary eyed, and he frowned. She smiled back at him, as if to reassure him that she'd be okay.

"Is that your mum?" Albus asked curiously, looking out of the window as well. Jerome looked at him and nodded, and then smiled back at his mum. She smiled knowingly. _He'll be okay,_ she thought.

Rose pulled the window down and shouted a goodbye to her mother. Jerome saw the curly haired witch smile back at her and wave, trying to hold back tears of her own. The train whistle blew again and the steam engine began to slowly crawl forward.

Jerome stood on his seat and reached up to open his trunk. He felt around inside of it until he found his Standard Book Of Spells Grade One. Of course, he didn't know which books were which by feeling them, so he had to pick it up and read the title to make sure.

He reached for his wand and took that out as well, along with his bag of leftover galleons from Diagon Alley. He then closed his trunk and sat back down. He looked out of the window again as his mother grew further away.

"Are you practicing spells?" Albus asked.

"Yes, I'm a muggle-born, so I don't really know any," he replied.

"We've never practiced any either," Rose said. "Though we know defensive incantations, wizards and witches under age eleven aren't allowed to have wands, and they aren't allowed to practice magic outside of school until they become of age."

"Fantastic," Jerome was glad that he wasn't the only one who'd never performed a single spell before. He opened the book to the first spell. _Wingardium Leviosa - Levitation Spell_. Jerome picked up his Ebony wand and pointed it at at the book. " _Wingardium Leviosa._ "

The book didn't budge. "You did well, you just need to try something smaller. Also remember to swish and flick your wand like the book says." Rose moved her own wand in the manner as was described by the book for a demonstration.

"Right," Jerome said. He looked around for a smaller object, and then decided on a galleon from his coin bag. He placed it on top of his book and pointed his wand at it. Focusing on the task at hand, he spoke. " _Wingardium Leviosa_." The galleon lifted itself up just barely a centimetre before dropping down again.

"No, you need to enunciate it differently. Mum always says it's _Wingardium LeviOsa_. And you're moving the wand wrong. Swish and flick, remember," Rose said. Jerome stared at her incredulously. Albus looked mildly embarrassed about it. Jerome felt heat rising to his cheeks. _I asked for help, not criticism,_ he thought to himself.

He lifted his wand once more and pointed it at the galleon. " _Wingardiu-_ " his wand dropped from his hand mid-sentence and he blushed an even deeper red. He leaned forward to pick it up and silently cursed at himself for being so stupid.

"Sorry, mate, she's always like this," Albus said. "You're doing great. Most people can't even get it to move at all for a while. My dad told me that my uncle couldn't do it in his first lesson."

"Thanks, I think I'll just take a small break. It's probably just that I'm hungry," Jerome said sheepishly.

"What house are you hoping to get into?" Rose asked Jerome.

"Um, what do you mean?" Jerome asked.

"Rose, did you not hear him say he's a muggle-born?" Albus asked his cousin. "He probably doesn't know about the houses. They aren't mentioned in any of the books on the first year list."

"Right, sorry. The houses are where we get sorted into upon arrival. They're supposed to be like family. We gain and lose points for our house, and at the end of the year, the house with the most points gets the house cup," Rose explained. "There's Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor."

"Hufflepuff is for the loyal," Albus started. "Ravenclaw is for the intellectual, Slytherin is for the cunning, and Gryffindor is for the brave."

"I'll be either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." Rose looked thoughtful.

"I'll probably be either Gryffindor or Slytherin," Albus muttered 'Slytherin' with a hint of anger.

"Albus, just because James said you'll be in slytherin, doesn't mean you actually will be." Rose's tone held obvious annoyance and aggravation.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Jerome asked curiously.

"There's not a wizard who's gone bad that wasn't in Slytherin," they both said at once.

"Slytherins are known for their thirst for power. The hunger to prove themselves. They'll do anything to get what they want," Rose said smartly.

"I'm sure not _all_ Slytherins are bad." Jerome looked uncomfortable.

"No, not all of them are, I was named after two headmasters of hogwarts that my dad knew. He said they were both great and one of them was a Slytherin," Albus spoke up.

"So what are you? Loyal, Smart, Cunning, or Brave?" Rose asked Jerome.

Jerome thought about it. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what he identified with most. He found a bit of all of the qualities inside of him. "I think they might have a hard time sorting me. I can't even decide for myself what I would be."

"There's been cases before where the sorting hat took nearly five minutes to sort a student. It could take a while, but the hat always finds the right house eventually," Rose said.

They continued to talk for a bit, and then a plump witch in a pointed hat came by with a trolley of all kinds of sweets. "Anything off the trolley, Dears?"

"Brilliant!" Albus sprang up and went outside the compartment to pick his snacks. Jerome followed him, taking his bag of money with him.

Rose stayed seated and called out to Albus. "Get me some pasties and chocolate frogs, Al."

Albus agreed and Jerome looked horrified. "Chocolate _frogs?_ " He asked.

"Not real frogs. They're just bewitched." Albus began taking treats off the trolley by the handful and Jerome looked perplexed at all the choices.

There were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate frogs, Drooble's best blowing gum, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and much more. Jerome picked out some pasties, cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs, and a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He paid the witch 6 sickles and sat back down inside the compartment.

Albus gave Rose a handful of pasties and frogs, and they all began to open up the treats, and Jerome settled on a cauldron cake. He'd never tasted anything like it before. Next he ate a pumpkin pasty, which tasted even better, in his own opinion. When he opened the chocolate frog, he gave a surprised gasp as it leapt up. Albus caught it in his hands, and it began hopping on them, as if trying to leap, but worn out.

"Here, Mate. They've only got one good jump in them." Albus handed Jerome the frog and he reluctantly bit into it. Jerome was pleasantly surprised to find that the chocolate actually tasted very good. He looked at the card inside of the small box and furrowed his brows curiously.

"Your father is famous?" He addressed Albus.

"Oh, yeah. He is," Albus responded.

"How come I don't know about this war?" Jerome asked, staring down at the card, which told him about Harry Potter's defeat of Lord Voldemort and survival of the killing curse not once, but twice.

"It was among the witches and wizards. Because you're muggle-born, you probably weren't informed because your parents weren't aware of it," Rose said.

Jerome noticed Albus shifting uncomfortably in his seat, so he changed the subject, deciding he'd read about it later. "I'm going to try that charm again."

He picked up his wand and the galleon he'd been using earlier, and cleared his throat. _Swish and flick_ , he thought. " _Wingardium Leviosa._ " His wand pointed at the coin, and he felt as if some odd strand were connecting his wand with the coin in some strange way. He lifted his wand up a bit, and the coin levitated from the top of the book, and floated in midair as he stopped moving his wand. He then willed it to move further from him, and toward Albus, who stared at the coin wide-eyed.

"You did it!" Albus cheered. Rose smiled at him. Jerome directed the coin to Rose next, or at least tried to, before another person pushed open their compartment door, distracting him. The coin dropped between Rose and Albus and Jerome looked up at the newcomer.

It was Annette. She didn't look too happy, and Jerome frowned. "Annette, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just my brothers. Can I join you?" She asked. She brightened at the sight of Jerome's open spellbook.

"Of course," Jerome said.

"Thanks." She sat down next to Jerome and smiled.

"Albus, Rose, this is Annette. I met her at Flourish and Blotts when I was getting school supplies." Jerome introduced her and the other two smiled in return, both muttering polite hellos.

The four of them talked about the classes at Hogwarts, Jerome finally feeling like he belonged. Annette talked about her brothers, Ronan and Corbin, and the classes they were taking.

"Ronan is in his second year. Corbin is a third year. They're both Gryffindors, but they're the first in our family to have gone in that house. Most everyone else is either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff," She explained. "They told me a lot of stories about Hogwarts, but I think some of them were just to try and scare me."

"James told me that the sorting was painful, but my dad told me it was just an enchanted hat that you put on your head," Albus said.

The train traveled on, and they each told Jerome what they knew. The sky outside grew darker as they got closer to their destination. Albus drifted off to sleep (He hadn't got much the previous night due to nerves), and Rose read a book. Annette glanced out of the window every now and then, but she mostly just fiddled around with her aspen wand. Jerome stared out of the window, lost deep in his own thoughts.

Jerome watched the clouds as they rolled in and past, quickly, as though trying to decide whether or not to rain. It reminded him of himself, in regards to his relationship with his father. He was like a lost puppy, trying to decide how best to find his way back. He once loved his father, and his father once loved him. Now there's nothing there on either side. _No,_ he thought. _I still love him._

"Jerome? Are you alright?" Annette looked up at Jerome's confused expression.

"You'd think my dad expected it. He _had_ to have known it would happen. His reaction… it wasn't… normal. He wasn't shocked, he was angry." Jerome didn't look at Annette, and he hadn't noticed that Rose was now paying full attention to him.

"What are you talking about?" Annette asked.

"My dad's reaction when he found out I was a wizard. He was angry. Furious. And my grandparents… they knew something too. They called me a freak." Jerome watched as it finally began to rain, small little drops on the window. He stood and closed it all the way. "I mean, I knew he had a cousin that was like me, but, I didn't think he would have expected me to be… well, you know."

"Your dad will come around. He'll have to eventually if he loves you," Annette said.

They heard a voice echo throughout the train telling them they had five minutes until they reached their destination. The four of them scuttled around, the girls leaving to find another compartment where they could change into their robes.

Jerome's thoughts didn't stop overwhelming him once the train slowed to a crawl, eventually stopping. All the students began filing out onto the platform and Jerome walked with Albus, Rose, and Annette.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, follow me! Firs' years!" Jerome looked up to find that the source of the yelling was an insanely large man holding a lantern up.

"Hagrid!" Rose and Albus exclaimed.

"All righ' Albus? Rose?" The man said. He led the first years down a path that found them facing a glassy expanse of water, holding a fleet of small boats.

"That's Hagrid, he's gamekeeper and the Care of Magical Creatures professor." Rose stepped into a boat as they listened to Hagrid demand no more than four to a boat. Annette followed, then Albus, and lastly Jerome.

Jerome took in the sight of all the first years around him, and noticed a boat that held only one student. He was a small blonde child that looked rather lonely. "I'll go sit with him, actually."

He got out of the boat and into the other. "Hello, my name is Jerome."

The blonde looked up at him. "I'm Scorpius," he muttered.

"Is it alright if I sit here?"

"Don't mind," Scorpius responded quietly.

"What house do you think you'll be going into?" Jerome asked, attempting at a small conversation.

"Father wants me in Slytherin, but I'm not sure I want to be in Slytherin, really," He said. "Not cut out for it, I guess."

"I'm not sure what house I'll be in, I wouldn't be surprised if the hat couldn't figure out where to put me."

"Everybody in? Alright, FORWARD!" Hagrid called. The fleet of boats sped forward, and soon a large outline was visible in the distance. A massive castle. Hogwarts.

"What house were your parents in?" Scorpius asked.

"They weren't. My parents are muggles," Jerome said. The look of alarm on Scorpius' face didn't go unnoticed by Jerome. "What?"

"I, Uh… Well… My father, er… He isn't fond of muggle-borns," Scorpius said.

"Does that mean you're the same?" Jerome asked.

"Well, er… Not necessarily, but… I've never met one, and… I don't know how my dad would like it," Scorpius said.

"So your dad gets to decide who you're friends with?" Jerome asked. Scorpius didn't get a chance to answer, because the boats gently bumped the harbor and the first years began climbing out. Jerome too, climbed out.

Jerome scrambled around until he found Albus again. Rose and Annette weren't too far ahead, having a conversation of their own.

"Never leave me alone with two girls again," Albus said.

"Sorry, Mate. It's just that the other boy looked lonely." Jerome noticed Albus look worriedly in Scorpius' direction.

"My relatives say his father is a terrible man. Well, my uncle, anyway," Albus said.

"Apparently his father doesn't like muggle-borns," Jerome replied.

"Watch yer step, firs' years!" Hagrid called. They scramble up the path to the large castle.

"I've never seen anything like this before." Jerome looked up at the towering castle, whose windows lit up like stars in the sky.

"Neither have I, Mate," Albus responded. Finally they stood in front of two large oak doors, which were opened by a familiar figure.

"Professor Longbottom!" Jerome exclaimed. Neville Longbottom smiled at him and Albus and thanked Hagrid. He then motioned for the first year students to follow him.

"You know him?" Albus asked.

"Yeah, he showed me and my mum 'round Diagon Alley when we went to get my supplies," Jerome answered.

They followed him into a corridor off of the main entrance hall. He turned to face the students, and everyone hushed immediately.

"Welcome, first years, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a few moments you will enter through these doors and join your classmates. Before you take your seats, however, you will be sorted into houses," the professor said. "They're Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. Your house should be treated like family. Your triumphs earning your house points, while any rule breaking will lose your house points," He scanned the crowd, making sure he still had everyone's attention. "The house with the most points will be awarded the house cup at the end of the year."

Jerome listened to every word he said, and then the students followed him into the great hall. It was extraordinary. Jerome sucked in a breath at the sight. There was no roof, or so it seemed, but he was informed by Annette that it was enchanted to look like the sky outside. There were candles floating everywhere and sparkling silver platters and plates and utensils set along four long tables, where many students sat chattering with each other. On the far side of the room, there was another table where the professors all sat, and Jerome saw Minerva McGonagall sitting at the table, looking on to the first years with a hint of a smile.

Neville stopped just before the professors' table and had the students all line up in front of him, where an old battered and torn hat rested on a stool. The hat twitched and the tear just above the rim widened and it sang.


	6. Chapter 6: Sorting Hat's Challenge

**_A/N: I'm sorry it's taking me so long to post updates, I've been very busy with finals, holidays, and it doesn't help that I'm experiencing some writer's block. I hope that everyone will bear with me as I am doing my best. I believe I'll just kind of skim over all the boring stuff, focus on Jerome's problems and their animagi training. That way it'll be easier for me to write, since I won't have to go into detail about all the different classes, all the different people, and all the different food. I can't promise that I've gotten back on a regular schedule, because my writer's block continues. However, I have one pre-written chapter that I can post, should I get desperate._**

 ** _Thank you all for your support! Review and favourite please!_**

* * *

 _Follow the light through the dreams and disasters_

 _Follow the light to the edge of the after_

 _We won't turn around_

 _We will not slow down_

 _Follow the light through the dreams and disasters_

 _(Dreams and Disasters - Owl City)_

* * *

 **September 1, 2017**

 _Out of the ashes shall a Phoenix rise_

 _And the next generation of students arrive_

 _Will you be courageous, or will you be wise_

 _Will you be cunning, or will you stay side by side_

 _While Gryffindor is strong,_

 _And Slytherin is tricky,_

 _Ravenclaw is wise,_

 _And Hufflepuff is loyal._

 _Where will you stand?_

 _Who will you be?_

 _And will you support inter-house unity?_

 _Should Hogwarts divide,_

 _Dark ones will rise_

 _As you enter this school_

 _Don't be the fool_

 _And most important above all else_

 _Keep history from repeating itself_

The hat gave a small bow and Neville took out a piece of parchment. He began to read names off of the list. "Aldrich, Yvonne."

Jerome fidgeted nervously as he watched the darker-skinned girl walk up to the hat and get placed into Hufflepuff. After Yvonne, an athletic looking boy called 'Attix, Clay' was sorted into Gryffindor. Jerome shifted on his feet as he listened to 'Bailey, Jordan' get sorted into Slytherin, 'Bryant, Jennifer' into Hufflepuff, 'Bryson, Julius' into Ravenclaw, and so on until this last names reached D.

"Dennis, Harley." Neville placed the hat on top of the nervous strawberry blonde, and waited patiently for the hat to announce her house. She was declared a Gryffindor.

A couple other names were called before 'Dursley, Jerome' was heard. Jerome swallowed a lump in his throat and moved forward. _Does it hurt?_ He thought. He sat on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. He scratched at his knee and stared at the interior of the enchanted hat.

 _Well, what a difficult choice_. Said the hat, whispering on the edge of Jerome's mind. _Strong willed, smart, loyal, desire to prove yourself_ , the hat continued rambling. _Not Hufflepuff, certainly not._ Jerome brought his eyebrows together in frustration _. I'm not cunning_ , he thought angrily. He listened to the hat ramble on about courage and cleverness and resourcefulness. Eventually the hat ruled out Ravenclaw as well, and then it was just Gryffindor and Slytherin to choose from.

 _You're confused about who you are. Multiple personalities, trying to find your way. Trying to prove that you're important._

Jerome listened as the students that filled the great hall began to whisper in confusion and amazement, trying to ignore that hat. He guessed that it had already been five minutes since he put the hat on. He was wondering if there had been a mistake. _You ought to be in Slytherin, you're bound for greatness there_ , the hat said.

 _I don't want to be great, I want to be normal_. Jerome argued with the hat for some time on whether or not he should be in Slytherin or Gryffindor. The sorting hat rambled on about Jerome's deepest darkest thoughts and memories, and how well he would do to be in Slytherin, and Jerome began to get scared. The hat knew everything about him. But he wouldn't go to Slytherin. Not after what Albus and Rose said. 'There's not a wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin.'

 _Alright, alright. Better be…_ "Gryffindor!" The hat called out to the current inhabitants of the great hall. Professor Longbottom pulled the hat off of Jerome's head, and he made his way to the table full of cheering students. There were red and gold banners hanging above it and he found an empty space on a bench.

"Congratulations!" A dark haired boy called to him from a bit further away on the other side of the table. He nodded and smiled, unable to speak. Names flew from the professor's mouth as more and more students were sorted, and Jerome sat watching idly. Then Scorpius Malfoy was called up.

The hat was placed on the blonde's head and there was a slight pause before the hat announced his new house. There was a collective intake of breath and everything seemed to have stopped. Professor Longbottom pulled the hat off of his head and Scorpius didn't move. He looked scared. But he soon masked his fear and made his way to his new 'family'. The first ever known Gryffindor in the Malfoy family. Scorpius sat next to Jerome.

"No," he said.

"I'm sorry?" Jerome asked.

"No. My father does not get to decide who I'm friends with." Scorpius looked Jerome in the eye and Jerome smiled. "That was an amazing hatstall."

"A what?"

"Hatstall. It's when the sorting hat takes longer than five minutes to decide what house you'd be in. Yours lasted nearly nine minutes. It's a new record," Scorpius explained.

"Yes, you're bound to be in a history book later on, even if only mentioned for that one thing, hatstalls are a big deal seeing as they only ever happen every fifty or sixty years or so. And they've never gone above six minutes." Albus came up and sat on Jerome's other side. "I heard people whispering, they thought you'd turn out a squib," he continued. "I knew better, because I'd seen your magic on the train, but I was a bit worried."

"Oh. Well, the hat wouldn't stop talking about my mixed personality… It was quite annoying really," Jerome said.

Annette was sorted into Ravenclaw, and Jerome frowned. It seemed as though Albus was trying to read into Jerome's personality as well, because Albus wasn't watching the first years get sorted. He was staring into space, thinking about what Jerome said.

Soon, Rose Weasley was up on the stool and they all stayed quiet. She was sorted into Gryffindor almost immediately, and sat across from the three boys. Professor McGonagall stood and everybody turned their attention to the headmistress.

"Before we begin the feast, I'd like to remind all students that the forest is strictly forbidden as it is highly dangerous and home to many creatures. Mr. Filch, the caretaker has requested that no magic be performed in the hallways. Now without further ado, let the feast begin." She sat down and food appeared suddenly on dishes.

There were beef casseroles, Lamb chops, pork chops, cornish pasties, stews, and tripe. Jerome stared at all the food in awe. Kids all around him reached for different platters and served food onto their plates, but Jerome couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Pumpkin juice?" Albus handed Jerome a pitcher, and Jerome poured himself some juice. He then looked upon all the different plates, and finally decided to take a bit of everything. There was much chatter and Jerome listened.

"Dad told us stories all the time about his adventures here. In his first year, they took on a mountain troll," Albus said. "They had loads of run-ins with Slytherins, too."

"Of course, things haven't gone as far as mountain trolls since the end of the war. Now all we worry about is the animosity between the houses." Rose spoke between bites of her smashed potatoes.

"But, Professor McGonagall is going to try something new this year, Young Cousin." A dark-haired boy sat next to Rose, and Jerome recognised him as Albus' brother. "House harmony."

"House harmony? What's that?" Jerome asked curiously.

"It's a brilliant way to make it easier for Slytherins and Gryffindors to kill each other," Albus' brother said. "Only joking, Mate. My name's James. Al is my younger brother."

"Jerome," Jerome introduced himself. They shook hands and James stood to go sit with his own friends.

Soon the plates cleared away and McGonagall stood again. She cleared her throat to silence everyone. Everyone looked up and she began to speak.

"One of the most important practices in the world is unity. It's a practice that many of us forget. A wise man once said 'we are as weak as we are divided, and as strong as we are united.' With that being said, things will run a bit differently here at Hogwarts." The witch looked among the students before continuing. She had their full attention. "Students will now be allowed to sit at any of the house tables. The goal of this new policy is to create harmony between the different houses. Off to bed now, all of you."

Prefects led the students out of the great hall and in separate directions to the common rooms. Jerome took this time to look at everything. Pictures hung on walls, and they moved. This fascinated Jerome. He had so much to tell his mother.

Staircases moved and steps vanished, walls pretended to be doors and some doors were difficult to get through. Some required a certain charm, others had to be tickled. It all seemed unbelievable to him.

 _Get it together,_ he thought. _This is not a dream_. And soon enough, they were standing in front of a large portrait containing a fat lady in a pink dress. The woman in the portrait asked for a password and the leading prefect gave it to her. Jerome was doubtful however, the portrait swung open and they were faced with a comfortable looking common room.

"Boys dorms are located on the left staircase, girl's dorms are on the right. You'll find that your trunks have already been delivered to your rooms." The prefect, Demarcus Simmons, dismissed them and Jerome, Albus, and Scorpius all made their way up the staircase.

"Today's Friday. We won't start classes until Monday. Wonder what we can do," Albus said, opening the door to the dorm they shared together, along with two other first year Gryffindor students. They walked inside and found that one of the students was already in there. The student by the name of Clay Attix sat on his bed, toying with the wand in his hand. He looked up at the newcomers and swung his legs over the edge of his four poster bed and stood, stowing his wand into his robe pocket.

"Hello, my name is Clay." He introduced himself and shook each of their hands in turn. After making introductions, each of them found their own bed and got settled, talking about things such as school supplies, classes, professors, students and quidditch, which Jerome paid close attention to, in order to learn.

Not much later, another boy walked in the room. He had medium brown hair and was tall. His hair was slightly wavy at the ends and reached an inch past his ears.

"What took you so long to get here, Dumaign?" Clay asked. The boy strode to the last bed in the room and plopped himself onto it.

"We're all friends here, call me Lysander. And your names are?" he addressed Jerome, Albus, and Scorpius.

"I'm Albus. Albus Potter," Albus said.

"I'm Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy."

"Jerome Dursley." Jerome looked up at Lysander for a moment before rummaging through his trunk for parchment, ink, and a quill. He heard a tapping sound and a low hooting. He looked up at the window to see Cliodna clawing at the closed glass.

"Alright, first things first," Clay said, moving toward the window to let the owl in. "I don't care how different you all may be from me or each other, we all have to be roommates for the next seven years, so from now on, we're friends." He looked at them, and then continued. "No matter what."

"I can agree with that." Albus looked a bit relieved, really, that he didn't have to worry much about being able to make friends with his roommates. Jerome observed this.

Soon, they were all doing their own thing. Jerome was writing a detailed letter to his mother, Albus was reading a book and absently feeding Jerome's owl a couple treats, Scorpius was organizing his books, Clay continued fiddling with his wand, and Lysander passed out on his bed. Jerome explained in as much detail as possible the day's events in his letter to Sara Dursley.

 _And the food is amazing. I'm not sure how they do it, but it just appears on platters before your very eyes, and it's a vast multitude of things. There's lamb chops, pork chops, smashed potatoes and much more. The sorting is rather interesting, Mum._ And he wrote all about his hatstall, his new friends, and the things he's learned. He then turned to Albus, who was the only other one awake by this point.

"How do I send this letter to my mum?" He asked.

"First, you want to either roll it up and tie it shut, or put it in an envelope. Then you give it to your owl and let it know where to take it," Albus explained. "Eventually your owl won't really need you to tell it, because it will know, but since it's still getting to know you as its owner, you have to tell it."

Jerome rolled up the parchment. "Would you happen to have a string I could use?"

"Sure, let me find one." Albus set his book aside and walked over to his trunk. He rummaged around in it and pulled out a long silvery white braided strand of thread. He picked up his wand and flicked it toward the strand. It cut a piece from the long thread and Jerome looked shocked.

"How'd you do that?" he asked. Albus handed him the thread and smiled.

"You could do it too if you wanted. It's very simple magic."

"I'd like to try more spells tomorrow." He yawned and tied the small, thin cord around the rolled parchment. "Cliodna," he called and the owl fluttered over to him. He gave the owl his letter. "Take it to Mum. Don't let Dad touch it please."

The barred owl swooped through the open window and hooted as it flew into the darkness. Now all Jerome could think about was the sorting hat. Apparently, according to the hat, he had an unknown personality, hidden well in his head, his deepest thoughts. And yet, he didn't know what this supposed secret personality was. And it scared him. He lay awake for awhile staring at the ceiling.

" _SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat called from atop Jerome's head. Jerome's eyes widened inside the dark cap._

" _What? I said not Slytherin!" he cried. The hat laughed maliciously and he felt himself being shoved toward Slytherin._

" _Let this be your challenge. Prove me wrong."_

Jerome woke up gasping for air. The light outside suggested that it was early morning. He sat up and glanced around. Everyone else was still asleep. A shadow moved across the room, but it was gone before Jerome could get a closer look.

Slipping on his shoes, he got off the bed and slipped out into the corridor. He wandered through until he faced the staircase leading to the common room. Then he had an idea. Rushing back to his dorm, he pulled his book on animagi out of his trunk and left for the quiet common room.

As he entered, he noticed a couple of things. One was that the fire, though dimmer than it was last night upon entering, had not gone out. The second thing he noticed was that as he entered, candles throughout the room flickered and lit aflame. He sat at a table in the corner of the room. He opened the book to the first chapter and began to read.

 _'An animagus is a person who can become an animal at will. To achieve the status of animagus, one must be determined, focused, and patient. Only the best of the best transfiguration experts have been successful. The first known animagus could turn into a falcon at will._ ' Jerome read each word with great care, determined to learn everything and anything he possibly could about the subject.

"You're up early." Jerome jumped inches into the air, slamming his book shut. It was Rose.

"Nightmare." Jerome turned the book over and stood to face her.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked, frowning in concern.

"Not exactly, no. I suppose I'm just worried." Jerome watched Rose sit down in an armchair by the fire and he picked up his book, walked over to another nearby armchair, and sat down.

"What are you worried about?"

"I feel like this is all a dream. Like I'm going to wake up and find out that none of this ever happened. I feel like I don't truly belong here." There was a pause and Rose looked up.

"I suppose it's difficult, being a muggle-born. It will get better, though," She assured him. He smiled at her. "What book is that?"

"Nothing," Jerome blurted out, speaking rather quickly. Rose narrowed her eyes and frowned.

"It's definitely something, and it better not be something that could get you in trouble, you ought to get rid of it, whatever it is, before you lose the house points." She stood and began moving toward the girls' dormitories. "I expect people will be waking for breakfast soon."

Jerome stared at her retreating form in disbelief. It was like she'd thought he was reading Fifty Shades of Grey or something. Honestly, he wasn't that bad.

Jerome had gone to put his book away and change, and then he took his wand and placed it in the holster on his waist. He was in the common room for another fifteen minutes before the first person came down from the dormitories. Harley Dennis, a strawberry-blonde witch with brown eyes and light freckles, came down into the common room and sat in the armchair that had been previously occupied by Rose.

Jerome, bitter about Rose suddenly snapping at him, didn't say anything to Harley. And she didn't seem to care. She looked peacefully into the dim fire light, as if daydreaming about something most wonderful.

"Jerome, there you are! We didn't see you in your bed. Why are you up so early?" Albus said. He was followed down the stairs by Scorpius, who looked awfully tired.

"Woke up from a nightmare, couldn't get back to sleep, came to the common room so I wouldn't wake anyone by accident," Jerome muttered, standing to follow them out of the portrait hole. They asked about his nightmare, and he told them what happened. Scorpius tried to hide a smirk, but Jerome saw it. Albus, on the other hand, reassured him.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Jerome asked.

"We'll worry about that after we eat, right now, I'm starving." Albus responded. They were in the entrance hall when a voice sounded behind them.

"Well, if it isn't Potter." They all turned to see Jordan Bailey, a Slytherin, flanked by two other Slytherins, Caisor Harden and Landyn Matthews.

"Bailey." Albus' jaw tensed and Bailey sneered at him.

"You may be famous, but you're nothing special," Bailey said. Jordan Bailey had brown hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin.

"Sorry?" Albus asked. The Slytherins laughed and walked away, toward the great hall, Jordan mumbling something about how long Albus can last at Hogwarts. Jerome clenched his fists and tightened his jaw, Scorpius narrowed his eyes toward the back of their heads and they began walking again.

"What was that all about?" Jerome asked.

"They're just trying to sound intimidating, is all." Albus walked in the Great Hall and toward the Gryffindor table.

The hall slowly filled with students as people poured in for breakfast. As they sat down, Jerome turned to Albus. "Exactly how bad is the animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor?"

"Well, they've been feuding for decades, centuries even. It's pretty bad, although from the stories I've heard, it's better now than it was many years ago." Albus took a scone from a nearby plate and some assorted fruits from a bowl. He grabbed numerous different foods and Jerome picked some as well.

As they ate, dozens upon dozens of owls flew in through the open windows and landed in front of their owners, bearing different types of envelopes, parcels, and baskets. Cliodna landed gracefully in front of Jerome with an envelope stamped with muggle stamps) and addressed to him.

 _Jerome Dudley Dursley_

 _Hogwarts_

He tore open the envelope, and stared down at his mother's handwriting. It had only been a day since he last saw her, but he already missed her.

 _Jerome,_

 _Your father wasn't very happy when Cliodna swooped in through the window and landed on his head for a couple of seconds before delivering your letter to me. She seemed rather confused really, but your father won't listen to my excuse. I'm glad you already made some friends, and I can't wait to hear more. Dad's been more calm today. Maybe if you just give him time, he'll do better._

 _I've got so many questions, but unfortunately, it is late and I'm very tired, so I'll start with just one. Can you explain this thing you call the sorting, in which you had a hatstall?_

 _Love,_

 _Mum_

Jerome swallowed a lump in his throat, and dropped the letter on the table with a frown. Cliodna pecked at his finger affectionately, but he pulled his hand away.

"What's wrong?" Albus looked over at Jerome who was staring at the letter.

"Mum says Cliodna landed on my dad's head. I'll bet he wasn't too happy." He watched his owl peck at his food. "Dad doesn't support me, being a wizard and all."

"He will eventually." Annette came to their table and sat down.

"Hopefully. I just don't understand why it's such a big deal. He should be used to having a wizard in the family." Jerome pushed his eggs around on his plate.

"I thought you were a muggle-born though?" Scorpius looked at him.

"I am, both of my parents are muggles, but my dad's cousin was a wizard, born from two magical parents. That's all I know of it, really." Jerome shrugged his shoulders as if to set aside the topic, but Albus' eyes widened.

"I knew it! I knew your name sounded familiar! You're the son of my dad's cousin, Dudley. I heard him talk about your dad once, though I'm not quite sure I was meant to hear the conversation," Albus said.

"What did he say?"

"Oh, well, he said that your father hated him. At least, he did until my dad saved him from a dementor. When they were saying their goodbyes, you know, before they had to go into hiding, your dad told my dad that he didn't think he was a waste of space," Albus looked off into space as he recounted what he'd heard. "That's all I heard really. Well, that and then my dad voiced his curiosity about whether or not his cousin's child would be a witch or wizard."

"Oh. Well, obviously I'm a wizard, and my dad hates me." Jerome picked at his bacon.

"He does not hate you, honestly when are you going to realise that maybe it just came as a shock to him?" Annette said, her tone showing agitation.

"Hey Scorpius, Albus, what do you know about animagi?" Jerome asked, deciding to change the subject quickly, before things got too heated.

"Animagi? To become an animagus is both difficult, and rare. But it would be great if we could become animagi, wouldn't it?" Scorpius said.

"It would be pretty awesome. However, we don't know how." Albus said.

"Jerome, are you seriously planning to try to become an animagus?" Annette asked, worry and shock seeping through. "It's dangerous, and it's against the rules for someone of your age."

"So what if I am?" Jerome's tone of voice suddenly got very nasty and defensive. "It's not your business what I do." Annette's eyes widened and then her face suddenly showed pure rage.

"Well, you'd better hope that you don't get caught because I'm not going to help you when you get into trouble." She said, standing up and storming away to the Ravenclaw table.

"Mate, are you serious about wanting to become an animagus?" Albus asked him, wide eyed.

Jerome leaned forward. "I have a book that has all the information we need. What do you say?"

Neither one of them had a chance to respond before Lysander sat down beside them. They immediately pretended as if they hadn't just been talking about something that could get them into trouble.

"All right?" Lysander said. They all nodded to him and he narrowed his eyes. "I sense secrecy." He smirked.

"It's nothing really, did you see how mad Annette was?" Scorpius smirked, his eyes raised in appraisal, as if Jerome had accomplished a very difficult task.

"Oh yeah, she nearly knocked me over on her way to the Ravenclaw table. What happened?" Lysander asked.

"Jerome got really hostile with her. You weren't kidding when you said you had multiple personalities, Mate." Albus spoke thickly, as he had just shoved a biscuit into his mouth.

"Well, I won't say I'm proud of it, but honestly, I've already had it with girls thinking they can push me around." Jerome began stabbing at his eggs.

"That's the spirit! We've got to be independent minded. Nobody bosses us around." Lysander clapped Jerome on the back.

"Okay, so where should we do our training?" Jerome whispered, the four of them huddled around a table in a corner of the Gryffindor common room. Lysander had managed to get them to tell him what they were planning, and they consented to allow him to join them.

"Why not our dorm?" Scorpius asked.

"Well it's not exactly private. Anybody could enter it should the need arise, and Clay doesn't know about this," Jerome said.

"The room of requirement. My dad was talking about it once. Told me that it was extremely useful to him in his sixth year," Scorpius said.

"What's the room of requirement?" Jerome asked.

"It's a secret room that only appears when a person is in need of it. It can transform itself into whatever the witch or wizard needs it to be at the moment." Albus looked at them, and they all seemed to think of the same thing at that very moment. _It's perfect._

"Where is this room?" Jerome asked.

"It's located on the seventh floor in the left corridor of the castle. It has a hidden entrance opposite the tapestry depicting _Barnabas the Barmy_ ," Scorpius said.

"Okay, so when will we check it out?" Lysander asked.

"How about tonight? We can take a look at it just before dinner." Albus was looking through Jerome's animagus book.

"Exactly _what_ are you planning on taking a look at?" The voice startled Albus and Jerome, but Scorpius and Lysander only shrugged and turned to find Clay Attix staring at them with his arms crossed.

"Shhh. You're going to attract attention!" Lysander said. He moved forward and put his arm around his apparent friend. "We are going to explore the castle. Starting with the kitchens."

The other three were very careful not to show any sign of confusion or surprise on their faces, and instead nodded eagerly. Clay's eyes got wide.

"You're going to get into trouble again Lysander! You have to at least make an effort here!" Clay said. At this, Jerome, Scorpius, and Albus didn't bother hiding their confusion.

"Relax, Clay. If you're so worried about me, then why don't you come with us?" He said with a mischievous smile.

"No. No way am I going to lose points for Gryffindor by scrounging around the kitchens without authorization!" Clay hissed.

"Then don't worry about us. We won't get caught." Lysander assured Clay, gesturing to the other three as he spoke.


End file.
